International Journal Of Environmental Research
Volume:3 Issue: 3, Summer 2009

The paper describes an investigation about the application of the new multiple-impedance discontinuities model for optimizing profile diffuser barriers. The new multiple-impedance discontinuities model is much faster than the numerical method, thus it is used in an optimization process. The A-weighted insertion loss was used for the traffic noise spectrum. The result of optimization, which is done by simplex downhill method, showed that the chosen method combined with the appropriate cost function is both a fast and effective way to optimize a diffusive profiled barrier, improving the performance of the barrier in the whole frequency bandwidth of the reactive profiled barriers. The optimized barrier improves the A-weighted insertion loss of all different tested barriers including absorbent, quadratic residue sequence and random sequence barriers.The introduced optimization process in this investigation is fast, clear and flexible so that any different ribbed surfaces and dimensions utilized on any different T-profile barriers can be optimized. The parameter used to optimize is just simply the well depth sequence, which is easy to realize and practical to design.

Long-term settlement of MSW landfills is a complex process, which is explained by the following two mechanisms: (1) the mechanical long-term compression of degradable organic solids (DOS) and un-degradable organic solids (UDOS); and (2) the decomposition-based compression of the DOS. Based on these two distinct settlement mechanisms, in this study, the authors propose a new estimation model to predict the long-term settlement of a MSW landfill. An optimization process using a real-coded genetic algorithm (GA) is performed to evaluate the parameters of the proposed estimation model, based on the settlement data measured at the Mountain View Landfill located near San Jose, California, USA. In comparison with the existing settlement models, the model predicts settlement very close to the measured data and closely conformed to the Grisolia and Napoleoni’s long-term settlement curve. Unlike the existing models, it is the only model that can produce estimation for both long-term and short-term settlement reliably and consistently.

Persistence of benthiocarb in soil as affected by UV and sunlight exposure was studied. Treated soil was placed in petri plate, brought to field capacity moisture and then exposed to UV and sunlight. Residues of benthiocarb in soil dissipated with half lives of 2.10, 11.85 and 43.63 days under UV, sunlight and dark condition, respectively. Soil samples kept under dark showed the slowest dissipation. Further, benthiocarb residues dissipated quickly under UV light as compared to sunlight. Exposure of thin film of benthiocarb confirmed that it is photo labile and dissipated very fast with half life of 1.16 and 1.77 days following exposure to UV and sunlight, respectively. The study revealed that UV component of sunlight is an important factor for benthiocarb dissipation.

Metals concentrations in Lumbricus Terrestris and soil samples from the dumpsites located in Zaria metropolis, Nigeria were measured spectrophotometrically. Mean metal content in dumpsite soils were: 25.95 - 75.17, 8.33 - 382.94, 124.84 - 206.96, 34.24 - 666.67 and 111.11 - 488.10mg/kg for Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn respectively. While the concentration ranges recorded in L. Terrestris samples were; Cd, 0.55 - 8.13mg/kg; Zn, 105.82 - 380.95mg/kg; Cu, 0.66 to 10.25mg/kg; Pb, 5.01 to 265.40mg/kg and Mn, 1.26 to 10.23mg/kg respectively. The ratios of these metals accumulation in L. Terrestris were less than unity for all metals except for Zn. The order of bioaccumulation of the metals followed the trend; Zn>Pb>Cu>Cd = Mn. Since birds and domestic fowls fed on insects and L. Terrestris, transfer of these metals across the food chain are most probable with resultant health problems.

The architectural education along the way of creativity has often involved with the formal and physical aspects of design as an effort to read architectural artifacts through its mere external appearances. This article, however, aims to step beyond the manifestation of conventional perspectives on visual aspects of built environment. That is, an act of interpreting the architectural spaces through representing the hidden dimensions that lead us towards a critical knowledge perceived by the spontaneous conscience pertained to the past. The approach toward history in this research is not a mere historical description; rather it is aimed to discover a methodology of design on the basis of contextual reflections. Accordingly, the process of architectural transmutation has been analyzed through reading the Persian historical city of Kashan in successive urban scales so that the continuity of design process correlating the virtual times of past, present and future would be conceived as a methodology distinct from the prevailing innovational preoccupations.

In order to examine the hypothesis of this research, an accidental sample of 122 students have been appointed from among the community of female students who were studying at the last year of primary school in Isfahan. The sample was divided into four groups, cognitive group, behavioral group, cognitive- behavioral group and control group. The impacts of independent variables have been assessed by attitude questionnaire, periodical energy electrical bills and energy-environment software. The outcomes indicated that the attitude of cognitive-behavioral group (mixed) and cognitive group have a meaningful difference from control and behavioral groups, after performing the independent variable. In changing the attitude too, the activity of cognitive-behavioral group is better than cognitive group. Also, the behaviors of student in cognitive, behavioral and cognitive-behavioral groups are different from the behavior of students in control group. The energy bills of these three groups showed 4389kw/h saving and 2513303/787 gram reduction in green house gasses and 738230 Rails reduction in social costs.

Light is never being distributed homogeneously and it forms a gradient over biomass. The unidirectional nature of light gives rise to a vertical gradient of light intensity as a function of depth. The maximum depth of the light zone suitable for phytoplankton photosynthesis is designated as the euphotic depth. This study was designed to test the hypothesis of mixing depth of phytoplankton and its compensation depth. In a water column undergoing turbulent mixing, where phytoplankton cells are around by the fluid motion, the irradiance encountered by cells will be a function of the ratio between the euphotic depth (zy) and the depth of mixing (zm). During the course of study the zy/zm ratio value were observed in the range of 0.4427 to 3.242. However, identification of Compensation point values for zy/zm indicates that light conditions are suitable for net phytoplankton production, because the mean value (0.3413) was good for the phytoplanktonic growth, which was greater than the minimum 0.20 limit.

Various physico chemical characteristics of the river Ganga in Varanasi were studied in the Oct 2005 to Nov 2006. Ecological parameters like dissolved oxygen(DO), pH, nitrate(NO3-), PO43- and bacterial population were analyzed and compared with standard permissible limits to assess the best designated use of the river water for various purposes. Study revealed that the water quality at Varanasi was not safe for human use. Result shows that Fecal coliform (20.9×103/100mL), Fecal streptococci (93/100mL), Total bacterial density (1.43×103/L), Total coliform (25.4×103/100mL) Escherichia coli (6.9×103/100mL) and Clostridium perfringens (396/100mL) were substantially high and much beyond the permissible limit of ISI and WHO. There were a marked correlation observed between physico-chemical quality of water and bacterial density. Some pathogenic bacteria Actinomyces sp., Aerobacter aerogenes, A. Cloacae, Micrococcus sp., Salmonella sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus sp. and Shigella sp., that indicate the higher level of fecal contamination in water. These untreated water sources are used for drinking and domestic purposes and pose a serious threat to the health of the consumers and therefore calls for urgent intervention by government.

As surfactants enhance the membrane transport of organic compounds, it has to be assumed that they decisively influence the absorption of pollutants from house dust. Sampling sites for the surfactant analysis include housing areas, each location of which has different surroundings such as rural, urban, construction, and industrial area. Three stations had been selected for each housing area and cooking and smoking activities were recorded for each house. The concentration of anionic and cationic surfactants was determined as Methylene Blue Active Substances (MBAS) and Disulphine Blue Active Substances (DBAS) methods each using an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer. The results indicated that the concentrations of MBAS and DBAS in indoor dust were much higher than the street dust. It is concluded that activities in the house itself contributed significantly to the high concentration level of MBAS and DBAS in indoor dust. Overall, the sequence of concentration level of anions is as follows, Cl- > NO3- > SO4 2-. The correlation between MBAS with all the anions are weak (R2 chloride = 0.0072, R2 nitrate = 0.2469, R2 sulphate = 0.00004) signifying that there is only a little connection between surfactants and these anions.

Investigations of Lake Umbozero, the second largest and the deepest lake of the Murmansk Region, were carried out to detect and define biogeochemical patterns of distribution of the chalcophile elements (Hg, Cd, Pb, As) in water, sediments and organs and tissues of whitefishes. Lake Umbozero is affected by emissions and effluents from mining and metallurgical enterprises of the Murmansk Region, as well as air pollution of a global character. Surface and near-bottom maxima were found in the distributions of Pb and Cd in the water column. These two maxima appear to be associated with the cyclical growth of phytoplankton in surface water layers and with sedimentation of lifeless organisms and suspended particles in near-bottom layers. Average concentrations of Pb and Cd in the water column were more than the average value for water of lakes of the taiga zone. Pollution of Lake Umbozero led to higher concentrations of heavy metals in upper layers of sediments as compared to deeper layers. Among heavy metals, the highest factors of contamination were found for Cd and Pb. Pollution of the lake by chalcophile elements has also resulted in their accumulation in organs and tissues of whitefish. Values for concentration factors greater than unity were found for Cd in kidney (5.8) and for Hg in kidney, liver and muscle (3.6, 3.3 and 2.2, respectively)of whitefish.

During the 1960s, the relatively new approaches like environmental warfare and intentional environmental deterioration came in to the global security and strategic literature. Till now, through different conventional and unconventional wars, the governments have imposed intentional and unintentional adverse effects on the environment some of which are lasting for decades. The application of weapons, the destruction of structures and oil fields, fires, military transport movements and chemical spraying are all examples of the destroying impact war may have on the environment. Warfare is inherently destructive of sustainable development. States shall therefore respect international law providing protection for the environment in times of armed conflict and cooperate in its further development, as necessary. Several United Nations treaties have provisions to limit the environmental impacts of war or military activities. The daily generated waste that is discharged to the environment by the military troops all around the world, the imperfect disposal of different radioactive, chemical and microbial weaponry in different locations of the planet and even the space are among the numerous proved evidences of the theory that militaries are the main environmental threats directly - during the war time- and indirectly - during the peace time-Besides the war, the energy and its relative issues are among the most significant challenges threatening the global security. Most civil and between-countries conflicts all around the world have been occurred with direct or indirect relations to the energy resources. Providing a dependable source of. energy is considered as a major principle in the defensive potential of different countries. Increasing the level of dependency of different countries to each other, a global commercial energy market would result in a remarkable decrease in the number of conflicts caused by energy crisis. Shifting the global focal attention from the fossil fuels towards the renewable clean sources of energy would play a key role in preparing the required infrastructure for achieving the global energy and environmental security.

Land cover change constitutes one of main way of alteration of soil organic matter in both quantitative and qualitative terms. The goal of this study was to compare the carbon stock and the isotopic signature of the organic matter in the soil of areas with different land use, covered with forest and grass (pasture). The study area is located at Sorocaba, SP, Brazil. Using un-deformed soil samples, we measured the carbon content and bulk density. The isotopic signature of soil carbon was determined through the analysis of isotopic ratio 12C/13C. The pasture soil stocks 48% less carbon than the soil covered by natural forest. The isotopic signature indicated that 42.2% of organic matter of the soil covered by pasture is originated from grasses. This characterizes a highly degradation of organic matter in the environment, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Hence, some guidelines of recuperation are described in order to restore the soil organic matter, structure and porosity

Laboratory degradation studies were performed in water at pH 4.0, 7.0 and 9.2 using Prochloraz (450 EC) formulation at the rates of 1.0 (T1) and 2.0 (T2) μg/mL. Water samples collected on 0 (2h),3,7,15,30,45,60 and 90 days after treatments were processed for residue analysis of Prochloraz by HPLC-UV detector. In 60 days, dissipation was 89.12-90.53 % at pH 4.0, 84.10-88.17 % at pH 7.0, and 92.35-93.81 % at pH 9.2 in both treatments. The results indicate that at pH 7.0 the degradation of Prochloraz was much slower as compared to other two. Among pH 4.0 and 9.2 the degradation of compound is little faster at pH 9.2. The half-life periods observed were 18.35 and 19.17 days at pH 4.0, 22.64 and 25.08 days at pH 7.0 and 15.84 and 16.63 days at pH 9.2 at T1 and T2 doses respectively.

Processing and recovery is a key functional element in municipal solid waste management system (MSWMS). Reuse, recycle and recovery of valuable components of waste stream are given much attention in MSWMS in both developed and developing countries. The main concern of municipalities is the sound management of recyclable materials. Source separation as a best practice for management of trash and recyclable materials is known to every municipalities. Since 1980 many technologies are used in recycling industry. Many municipalities are learning the importance of new technologies in recycling industries, such as radio frequency identification (RFID). This technology has been used widely by many organizations in some industrialized countries. Radio frequency identification is a tagging system for automatic identification of recyclable components of municipal solid waste stream. This paper reveals some applications of RFID technology in Product self-management, with emphasize on municipal solid waste management as well as environmental implications of RFID. Broad usage of RFID tags on consumer products bears risks of dissipating both toxic and valuable substances, and could disrupt the established recycling processes. This causes a potential mid-or-long term risks with respect to resource management and pollution control. However, these risks could be avoided or mitigated applying precautionary principle in the early stage of development of RFID technology

In most aquatic ecosystems mercury accumulates more in the sediment than in water column. However, due to limited eco-toxicological data, it is difficult to predict the toxicity of these sediments. The present study evaluated the effects of inorganic mercury in spiked sediment on the survival, growth, and emergence of the midge Chironomus riparius and compared the results to mercury concentrations reported in streams and rivers in Africa. At 3.84 mg Hg/kg dry sediment, mercury significantly reduced larval survival and midges emergence success in comparison to control sediment (P<0.05). The growth of the larva was significantly inhibited (P<0.05) at 2.42 mg Hg/ kg dry weight, while emergence of C. riparius midges was significantly delayed at 0.93 mg/kg dry wt. These results indicate that mercury inhibits C. riparius characteristics at lower concentrations than those which have been measured in sediments from watersheds impacted with mercury like those found around artisanal gold mining in Africa. It is therefore possible that Chironomus and probably other fauna living in these watersheds are at risk.

Various combustion characteristics and properties are studied while selecting a fuel for any engine. The choice of the engine and fuel are highly interrelated. Vegetable oil is one obvious fuel particularly because their fuel properties are closer to diesel fuel. Two important properties, the cetane number and the calorific value are similar to diesel. Hence diesel engines can be operated on vegetable oil without modification. To ascertain the possibility of use of modified karanja oil as fuel for compression ignition engine the performance test were conducted. The comparison of the test fuels made with diesel fuel. Test fuels’ performance analyzed for esters of karanja oil, blends of karanja oil, and the diesel oil as baseline at varying loads performed at governor controlled speed. The variations in the injection parameters were analyzed to observe its influence on the engine performance with different fuels. Experimental results show that diesel engine gives poor performance at lower Injection Pressure than esterified karanja oil and its blends with diesel. Specific energy consumption is a more reliable parameter for comparison. MEKO and 50KO which shown comparable energy required per kW power than diesel fuel it may be due to lower calorific value of MEKO. Comparable smoke found for karanja oil methyl ester with that of diesel fuel. Smoke emission increases with increase in engine load due to overall richer combustion, longer duration of diffusion combustion phase and reduced oxygen concentration.

Biological removal of lead was observed in this study during treatment of synthetic solutions of this heavy metal by a sample of waste activated sludge (WAS) having MLSS concentration of 10000 mg/L. The objective was determining the capability of WAS in removal of lead in three different conditions of treatment: without any aeration and feeding, by simultaneous aeration and feeding and by aeration without feeding. Besides, the effect of initial metal concentration and contact time in these treatment stages were determined.Results showed that the efficiency of lead removal was reduced by increasing the initial metal concentration, but the changes of contact time had resulted in different responses depending to the test condition. Moreover, it was found that the effects of aeration and feeding in increasing the efficiency of treatment were more pronounced for the stage of treating lower concentrations of lead. The maximum removal of lead in the first step (without aeration and feeding) was 55.2 % in contact time of 75 minutes, in the second step (without feeding and by 12 hours aeration) 63.3% and third step it was 94.2 % in contact time of 48 hours. The initial lead concentration in these experiments was 5 mg/L.